2018-O.T.C. elk,Co.

[Roundball]

Anyone have any advice on areas to bowhunt? I'm only after a cow or small bull. I shoot a recurve, can backpack; don't like crowds. Thanks, roundball

 

[bowrunner]

You might be hard pressed to find some good answers on here for over the counter areas. But if you look at success rates on the Colorado Parks and Wildlife website you can find an area pretty easily. Sometimes the success rates arnt good representations of an area. sometimes, success rates are low because an area is so rugged and remote that a lot of the people that try just cant seem to get to where the elk are. I would then cross that with some google maps and find areas with less roads if that is what you are after.

 

[Retterath]

First thing choose a terrain type you want to hunt, next check the otc units with that terrain you want to hunt. Look at harvest stats and how many hunters per square mile, also cow to bull ratio. Find areas at least a mile off the road and mark those roads with a red pen so you know where the roads are at. Find good north facing slopes for bedding and security plus water and food sources close by. Since you will be bowhunting probally the rut remember bulls main concentration will be breading first then water then food. Now for later season this will change. Bulls main thing will be security and food. hope this helps

 

[CODAK]

There are crowds is just about every OTC. It’s really grown over the past 5 years, so you’re best best is to do research on maps and herd sizes and figure it out from there. Generally it takes 3 years to truly understand an area. I wouldn’t trust data as it is very sporadic, just have to pick a spot and go for it. Get in deep, go to the steepest, darkest, most inconvenient place on the mountain and you will find elk. Just have a plan on getting them out

 

[Slugz]

Said it once and I'll say it again. Until we (Colorado) becomes a mandatory harvest/check state.....don't waste your time with the harvest stats. Gents take it from someone who lives here and spends 6 months out of the year in the woods. I know as a non Res it's tough so any data you can get is gonna be analyzed. I recommend you look at the 5 major herds vs OTC units vs bull to cow ratios of those GMUs. Not being negative towards Bow runners comment just saying my opinion and what works for me out here. I just hate to see an out of stater spend all this time and effort pouring over data which is most likely only about 30% good info. Now I wpuld love for someone from CDOW to prove me wrong......but I don't think they can.

 

[JimP]

I agree that the data can be quite flawed. I know of a few hunters that put in the wrong information on purpose just to screw with the system.

For where to hunt, check out the Grand Mesa area south east of Grand Junction and south of I-70 or the Flat Tops north of Glenwood Springs. Also the area north of I-70 in the Vail area.

But you are going to see lots of other hunters, some say that if you get more than a mile off of a road you will be by yourself but if you look at the maps of the areas you will find that you can't get that far in without starting to come out towards another road unless you are hunting one of the wilderness areas.

 

[Colorado Cowboy]

Both slugz and jim are right about the harvest data. I would look at wilderness areas, most hunters will stay pretty close to roads and trailheads.

 

[Goodtimekiller]

As a nonresident i have found that otc usually equals lots of hunters, and I?ve tried 1/2 mile to 6 miles off the road. I think states like montana that doesn?t have otc and doesn?t sell all of the licenses will have fewer hunters to deal with. Montana will cost you a bit more but may be more enjoyable if fewer hunters is important to you.


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[Slugz]

As a nonresident i have found that otc usually equals lots of hunters, and I?ve tried 1/2 mile to 6 miles off the road. I think states like montana that doesn?t have otc and doesn?t sell all of the licenses will have fewer hunters to deal with. Montana will cost you a bit more but may be more enjoyable if fewer hunters is important to you.


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It's usually like that only due to not being able to put in a lot of time scouting. There are plenty of OTC units in Colorado and plenty of space. Just have to find the dead zones that hold the unpressured animals. Unpressured animals doesn't always equal long hikes in either.

 

[Slugz]

As a nonresident i have found that otc usually equals lots of hunters, and I?ve tried 1/2 mile to 6 miles off the road. I think states like montana that doesn?t have otc and doesn?t sell all of the licenses will have fewer hunters to deal with. Montana will cost you a bit more but may be more enjoyable if fewer hunters is important to you.


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It's usually like that only due to not being able to put in a lot of time scouting. There are plenty of OTC units in Colorado and plenty of space. Just have to find the dead zones that hold the unpressured animals. Unpressured animals doesn't always equal long hikes in either.

 

[Goodtimekiller]

It's usually like that only due to not being able to put in a lot of time scouting. There are plenty of OTC units in Colorado and plenty of space. Just have to find the dead zones that hold the unpressured animals. Unpressured animals doesn't always equal long hikes in either.

I will agree with you, but from my experience in hunting both states Montana is much easier to find a peaceful place, and I will agree that has changed over the last 4-5 years. But as an out of stater, who wants to drive 24 hours and spend 1/2 the trip looking for secluded places. Don?t get me wrong, i?m still trying to find mine and will be back next year to CO but if the costs were the same I would go to Montana. But unlimited license vs not able to sell what licenses they sold when it took 2 years to get one, i would say Montana will have fewer hunters.


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[swampokie]

Just for once I want an information seeker to say I love crowds and don?t want to do much hiking!!!!just sayin! Good luck. If u don?t want crowds u better be lucky in the draws because Colorado otc won?t accommodate ur needs.

 

[Prerylyon]

Interested in this thread-but from the rifle man's perspective.

Need to keep CO on the radar if I don't draw in WY. [emoji6]

Regards,

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[bowrunner]

Said it once and I'll say it again. Until we (Colorado) becomes a mandatory harvest/check state.....don't waste your time with the harvest stats. Gents take it from someone who lives here and spends 6 months out of the year in the woods. I know as a non Res it's tough so any data you can get is gonna be analyzed. I recommend you look at the 5 major herds vs OTC units vs bull to cow ratios of those GMUs. Not being negative towards Bow runners comment just saying my opinion and what works for me out here. I just hate to see an out of stater spend all this time and effort pouring over data which is most likely only about 30% good info. Now I wpuld love for someone from CDOW to prove me wrong......but I don't think they can.

I guess I never really thought about the statistics being flawed. That's a very good point.

 

[Prerylyon]

Well, yes; data can be flawed-"garbage in, garbage out". But, its not all bad data. Probably best to keep things in their perspectives and not place to much faith in any one parameter. "Figures lie, liars figure" as the saying goes.

Trends seen in the data probably have some meaning, and then; as others have brought up, looking at herd sizes and health to gauge opportunities might be of more value to someone (like me) just wanting to get his 1st elk in a western hunt setting.

Guided hunts are a good option, too, really. It's out of my budget for a few more years, but I learned so much on the couple of guided hunts I been on in the past. That learning is really worth something. I think sometimes folks don't consider that aspect.

At the end of the day, we just have to get out there and try. [emoji6]

Regards,

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[Goodtimekiller]

Well, yes; data can be flawed-"garbage in, garbage out". But, its not all bad data. Probably best to keep things in their perspectives and not place to much faith in any one parameter. "Figures lie, liars figure" as the saying goes.

Trends seen in the data probably have some meaning, and then; as others have brought up, looking at herd sizes and health to gauge opportunities might be of more value to someone (like me) just wanting to get his 1st elk in a western hunt setting.

Guided hunts are a good option, too, really. It's out of my budget for a few more years, but I learned so much on the couple of guided hunts I been on in the past. That learning is really worth something. I think sometimes folks don't consider that aspect.

At the end of the day, we just have to get out there and try. [emoji6]

Regards,

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I had a friend who really wanted to shoot an elk with his bow and talked me in to going with an outfitter 2 years in a row. The first year the hunting was a horrible experience. We were one of the first groups and it was more like we were scouting for the coming groups. The outfitter knew how to answer ?the questions? correctly. Out of 5 groups, 3 ended up leaving a 5 day hunt early. Another group of 4 got to within 70 yards of one bull and that was it. Needless to say, none of the groups went back the next year. On the second trip i thought i knew what questions to ask and how to ask them better. I even called a very popular service as this guide was one of their certified guides and got rave reviews. We saw 5 bulls and sone cows 2100 yds away on another ranch, the guide sounded like my 10 year old nephew when calling. No doubt there are good and great guides out there, but i say all of this just to point out the fact that you have to be really careful when selecting a guide or you can waste a ton of money. It will be a long time before i go back with a guide.


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[Prerylyon]

No, I hear ya. I wasn't trying to sell the guided option as a cure-all. I've been lucky to have gone on two deer hunts with some great guides. I did have a rough time with a guide on a pheasant hunt 20 yrs ago. Bad things can sometimes happen.

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